UK's mega offshore wind farm makes waves

A 630 megawatt wind farm has opened off the coast of Essex and Kent in the United Kingdom, kicking off the UK’s big wind ambitions.

The 175 turbine project known as the London Array is capable of powering about 500,000 homes. It’s being lauded as putting Great Britain on the green energy map, much as Germany has been viewed for leaping ahead with solar power. Both countries could now be on track to meet climate change-related renewable energy targets.

The UK aims to get 30 percent of its power from renewables — wind, solar, waves etc. — by 2020; and its western exposures are perfect for harnessing the wind.

But there are clouds on the windy horizon. A new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research, coming out just after the wind farm opening, predicts that Great Britain could end up with an expensive, but inadequate renewable energy program if it doesn’t commit more cash and effort to green energy.

“The current policy trajectory could achieve a worst of all worlds outcome – low volume [of energy generated], low jobs and high costs,” Will Straw, an associate director at the IPPR told The Guardian. “This would fail our climate challenge, our jobs challenge and our rebalancing [of the economy] challenge. Unless Britain pumps up the volume, there is little prospect of bringing down the costs of offshore wind or creating domestic jobs.”

British leaders also are talking about tapping shale oil reserves, which could also dampen enthusiasm for green energy, according to this Bloomberg report on the new wind farm.